Ex Georgian consul in Odesa suspected of embezzlement, pretrial confinement hearing scheduled

The department for investigating very serious economic crimes of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has served the former general consul of Georgia in Odesa region, Timur Nishnianidze, a notice of suspicion for embezzling state funds in large amounts. The issue of his pretrial confinement is being determined.

"PGO departments for investigating very serious economic crimes and main bureau for fighting corruption and organized crime along with Ukraine's SBU Security Service, have served a notice of suspicion to the former general consul of Georgia in Odesa region Nishnianidze. He is suspected of embezzling state funds in large amounts with a group of individuals and in legalizing (laundering) proceeds, which were received in a criminal manner, that is, of committing criminal acts pursuant to Part 5 of Article 191, Part 2 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," PGO spokeswoman wrote on her Facebook page on Friday.

The pretrial investigation established that Nishnianidze, acting in accordance with a premeditated plan with other consulate employees, from June 2012 through November 2013 provided Ukrainian tax authorities with documents for refunding more than UAH 17 million in value-added tax (VAT) payments for purchases of merchandise in brand-name stores Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dsquared2, Helen-Marlen and others located in Kyiv and Odesa. The purchases provide grounds for refunding foreigners VAT payments.

Deputy head of the Odesa regional administration, Solomia Borbovska, said on her Facebook page that a notice of suspicion was served at around midnight, adding a decision on pretrial confinement would be taken by Kyiv's Pechersky District court at its hearing starting at 14.00 on Friday.